


once is happenstance

by pashmina



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: F/M, Gen, Spymasters in Training!Cor and Aravis, spymaster!edmund
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pashmina/pseuds/pashmina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Edmund the Just's attempt to provide field experience for his two protege in the art of reconnaissance goes rather awry. If only Aravis would not jut her chin out in a way that promised more trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	once is happenstance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aurilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurilly/gifts).



> for aurilly who wanted "cranky Edmund in ridiculous situations" -- i hope this is ridiculous enough.

When Edmund would hear of Galma next, it would be when Caspian told him of his tale of the Duke and his squinty eyed Daughter. In his own age Galma was little more than a city in a region no kingdom had claimed, filled with various nomadic peoples. Until now -- someone had fashioned themselves as the Lord of the Realm of Galma, and since no one had heard of this Lord before, there were many interested parties who wished to learn more of this new Realm. Covertly, of course.

 

King Edmund was not in fact supposed to be in Galma at all (after all, no spymaster ever did his own missions -- that was the work of a _spy_ ), but he considered himself a wise and competent mentor and therefore took it upon himself to teach his two protégé the art of espionage. Both Cor and Aravis had taken to theoretical aspects remarkably well and the field experience would allow them to apply their knowledge. While the newly engaged had no need to head Archenland's intelligence apparatus yet, it would be vital for them to learn the ins and outs of spy fare before they took the throne.

 

His own spies had reported that the new Lord was little more than a man with delusions of grandeur; easily disposable should the need arise. And since no other kingdom had Rats and Crows for spies, there was little doubt that no other kingdom had learned this information yet. It provided the perfect context for a safe and simple reconnaissance mission for the Royal Prince and his Lady.

 

But before King Edmund the Just was King Edmund, he was Edmund Pevensie -- and the course never did run smooth for him.

 

\---

 

The first mistake had been to tell Corvid and Scallion to scout out the path ahead, leaving him, Cor and Aravis behind (and a small group of his private regiment even further). The second had been missing the trip wire. The third had been not warning Aravis fast enough.

 

At least Cor managed to scamper off before getting caught in the net trap set by brigands. At least, he thought they were brigands given the grizzled beards, unkempt clothes, and general roaring about how much money they'd get for such fine specimens they were sure the Lord would enjoy. And odd turn of phrase that had Aravis scowling (though Edmund was sure that the way his elbow was jabbing into her stomach as they hung above the ground also had something to do with her frown).

 

For all their supposed savagery, they were a rather clever bunch who didn't drink enough ale to render them incapacitated; half their camp was awake at any given shift, making it nearly impossible for Cor to stage a rescue. If Cor had even managed to circle back without being seen.

 

"Well, what do we do now?" Aravis muttered lowly, hours after they'd been caught when the moon had risen high. Edmund wanted to commend her for remaining silent earlier -- there was no way their captors could learn anything of importance if neither spoke -- but instead responded in a quiet hiss.

 

"Nothing yet. We'll have to bide our time until something can be done."

 

The Lady's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth as if to speak. All that came out was an irritated sort of huff (a sound he thought he'd heard once before in school? Had he ever gone to a school? It was all so _fuzzy_ and starting to give him a headache) before she turned away, chin tilted up in a manner that reminded him of _both_ his sisters. Unlike his sisters, however, she didn't turn back to argue. A blessing he wouldn't think to count until later, when she _did_ open her mouth again.

 

\--

 

"Well well, what have we _here_?"

 

Edmund really did not enjoy being observed so closely, as though through those combined magnifying lenses Oreius occasionally used to watch the movements of the stars. To her credit, Aravis did not seem particularly perturbed -- her face was carefully blank though her fists were curled tightly. Edmund leant a little closer, his shoulder in front of hers and nearly touching. She glanced at him sharply but made no move.

 

"One so pale and one so dark; I could have never expected such variety," the man said with a grin a hint too wide to be welcoming, but not quite so far as to suggest insanity. His throne was simple, for it was only a large wooden chair upon a raised dais. The only true mark that the man was a _Lord_ , was a bronze circlet settled in his light hair and a large hunched vulture perched quietly on one corner of his chair. It's brown feathers, dotted with white were clean of any entrails Edmund might have expected from a scavenger Occasionally, it leaned towards the Galman Lord and nudged his ear with its beak.

 

"Shall we put you to work in the castle?" Edmund wanted to scoff. It was an empty fort, most derelict on at least one side -- the one facing the sea. "Or shall we send you to the mines?"

 

 _Mines_. Now that was interesting. His spies had made no mention of the region having material valuable enough to mine.

 

"You will do neither."

 

Edmund froze, eyes widening as he whipped his head to face his companion. Her chin was tilted up, and she was standing tall, her voice imperious. Any attempt at making eye contact so he could shake his head at her, or somehow glean what exactly she was trying to do was in vain for the Calormene kept her gaze steadily upon the Lord.

 

"And why is that?" Either the Lord was an extremely good actor or his sarcasm had gone too far because the man sounded genuinely confused.

 

"Because I am the Lady Aravis of Archenland. And this is " -- finally, she tilted her head towards him, and it was all Edmund could do not to wail at her next words -- " my fiance, Prince Cor of Archenland. We were coming to pay a Diplomatic Visit to the new Lord of the Realm."

 

Her gaze lowered, and just for a moment Edmund could believe that she was the subdued sort she was making herself out to be. Clearing his throat, the Just King played along. It wasn't as if he could do anything else.

 

"Lord Protector, forgive us. It was improper of us to arrive without a herald. We should have notified you earlier."

 

"If you are of the royal household, how come you were traveling alone? You're clothes are fine enough, but where was your entourage?"

 

It was a very good question Edmund was struggling to answer.

 

"We were…being indiscreet, my Lord," Aravis responded, a beautiful tint of red flushing her dark cheeks. The closest he'd ever seen to a blush. "Since our engagement, we find we are never left alone to enjoy each other's company. We stole away to have a few moments to ourselves."

 

A strangled sort of sound curled in the back of Edmund's throat, and two spots of color rose high on his cheeks. It was silent, and the vulture nudged the Lord's ear once more. And then, somehow his impossibly wide smile grew even wider.

 

"How delightful! I apologize for the misunderstanding, Prince Cor -- you are my guests now and shall be treated rightly. Guards!" Two of the men Edmund had been assuming were brigands came forward. "Take them to our guest quarters. Have the servants ready them both for dinner."

 

The two were whisked away before Edmund could do anything else.

 

\---

 

There was only one bed.

 

After a tense dinner, not that the Lord realized it considering Aravis' considerable conversational talents, the two had been led to their quarters. Or rather, their _quarter_.

 

Their guard had made some crude comment about the Lord understanding young people in love's _urges_ before giving them a broad wink and shutting the door behind them.

 

And there was only one bed. Edmund could not stop staring at the surprisingly plush blankets pillows covering the bed, hands rubbing at his temples.

 

"He's standing at the door," Aravis said, after a moment. He hadn't even realized she was not standing next to him because _there was only one bed_. "I said I was hoping we could have some privacy." She made a face. "He said I shouldn't be worried. That it wouldn't be anything he hadn't heard before."

 

"May I ask, Aravis, exactly what you were intentions were when you declared us to the Royal Engaged Couple of Archenland?" Edmund asked tightly as she removed her mantle and sat on the edge of the _one_ bed.

 

"Well I couldn't say you were from Narnia -- didn't you notice? The vulture was Talking to him. We would have had no chance to figure out what's going on here if she suspected we realized she was more intelligent than she let on. And if the so called Lord of the Realm seeks political legitimacy, a visit from the Royal Engaged Couple of Archenland would be perfect. It also proves that his Lord is a nobody since he didn't realize you are not Prince Cor."

 

It was more thought out than he cared to admit.

 

"So what do we now?" he queried, one brow raising.

 

"I suppose we wait until tomorrow morning. There are no windows to escape from and there are guards lining down the halls. There are far more guards than any servants here. It's odd."

 

"Yes, but what do we _now_?"

 

Aravis shot him a confused look as she removed her shoes and began pulling the blankets from their carefully tucked corners.

 

"There's only _one_ bed. And you are engaged to another man," he pointed out. 

 

She laughed.

 

"King Edmund, please come to bed. The floors are too hard, and you are too chivalrous for either of us to be in danger of damaging anyone's virtue." And then, with a wicked grin, "Besides, if there were any man Shasta wouldn't mind having in our bed…"

 

Aravis trailed off and patted the space beside her.

 

Edmund gaped.

Then removed his jacket and got in bed.

 

\---

 

The room was totally dark since the candles had gone out, and the only way Edmund knew he wasn't entirely alone was the heat he could feel near his arm where she lay less than an inch away, and her voice a mere whisper to prevent the guard from overhearing.

 

"You're sure the vulture is a Vulture?"

 

"I believe so. She's too large to be a normal vulture. And she's not a male because her beak is black. And she kept leaning towards his ear. I couldn't hear anything but her beak was never completely closed."

 

"She seeks power then. There must be something valuable in the mines she's protecting. But why is the Lord listening?"

 

"Riches? Promise of glory? Men are inclined towards foolishness."

 

"I take offense to that statement."

 

A soft chuckle.

 

"Men are inclined towards foolishness, but I do hope Kings are not."

 

\---

 

Edmund thanked Aslan that he and Aravis had not somehow moved into a more compromising position in their sleep. She was curled up tightly, a bit closer to the edge than he would have liked; gently, he pulled her closer towards the middle. Then turned himself so that his back was to hers, a breath away from touching. He felt awkward and out of sorts and didn't like it. And so after trying to pretend he would be able to sleep for another half hour, he gave up and woke Aravis.

 

Together (and accompanied by the guards) they reached breakfast where the Lord sat at the head of table and the Vulture perched on the corner, head leant towards the man. Greeting them brightly, he invited both to sit. A shared glance between the two and at the forks and knives by their plates as they took their seats made it clear they had similar intentions.

 

But before Edmund could take his knife and launch himself at the Vulture or Aravis could grab her fork and press it to the Lord's throat, the doors were flung open once more revealing several Wildcats, a Satyr, a Crow, a Mouse, a Griffin and a Cor.

 

It was _then,_ that all chaos broke loose.

 

\---

 

Finally, the course reverted back to course and would, Edmund hoped desperately, remained smooth.

 

The skirmish had been brief once Aravis and Padclaw, the Griffin, had managed to encircle and capture the Vulture. Edmund made it clear that he had no quarrel with the Lord and that he could continue to pretend he was of any importance but that he would be ensuring that no person who did not wish to stay in service of the Lord and his mines would be forced otherwise.

 

In fact, he was feeling greatly cheered now that matters had been resolved and was sporting  a bright grin as the entire party began their travels back to Narnia.

 

Until, of course, Aravis tilted her chin up in that harbinger-of-doom sort of way and curled her lips into a smirk that  he found deeply suspect.

 

"Did I tell you, Shasta -- King Edmund and I slept together!"

**Author's Note:**

> \-- I like to think that both Shasta and Aravis harbor crushes on the Four Pevensies, because lbh who wouldn't?
> 
> \-- Title inspired by Ian Fleming's Goldfinger: "Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is an enemy action."


End file.
